Scheme to prevent stray horses causing a road death is backed by Peterborough City Council

Joel Lamy

A scheme to prevent stray horses causing a road fatality in Peterborough is to being backed by the city council.

Cambridgeshire police will be asked by the council to see if the scheme is feasible and could be implemented together.

The idea, called the Green Yard Scheme, was proposed by Councillor John Fox at a meeting of the full council last night (Wednesday, July 15) and passed easily.

The scheme would see police take stray horses to a stable in the city, with the horses’ owner then having to pay the force for any costs incurred before they could be given their horses back.

The motion states that there have been 97 incidents of stray horses in Peterborough in the last five years.

Cllr Fox said he is aware of incidents which could have easily led to a death on the roads which he is hoping the Green Yard Scheme would help prevent as the police could move the horses somewhere else.

Cllr Fox highlighted other forces which operate a similar scheme, including Derbyshire.

He also hopes that if the scheme gets going, then it will encourage owners to chip their horses so they can be located.

If a horse was kept at a stable for 14 days and the owner did not pick it up, an option could be to sell the horse.

Cllr Fox said: “My biggest fear is there is going to be a fatality on the parkways.

“The owners of the horses have a responsibility to make sure they are in a secure place.”

Chief Inspector James Sutherland said: “Cambridgeshire Constabulary is keen to work with all local authorities on the implementation of the Control of Horses Act which gives land owners and local authorities new and significant powers to seize and deal with stray and fly-grazed horses.

“We look forward to meeting with our colleagues in Peterborough Council over the coming weeks to discuss this issue”View: the motion in full